Looper throwout mechanism



March 3, 1953 E. MUECKE 2,630,088

LOOPER THRQWOUT MECHANISM Filed June 17, 1950 2 sHEETs-sHEET 1 W6 UnuewFoZ Edward Muscle Mai/nay March 3, 1953 MUECKE 2,630,088

LOOPER THROWOUT MECHANISM Filed June 17, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UN OFFICE V Looiiii'ift 'TiiiidvvoU'r .MECHANisM' Edward. M ieckeemiiden, Ni a. csiiigiioi "to 'lhe- Sing 'er Mimiifietfii-ing. Company, Elizabeth, Ni' Ji, a corporation of New Jersey Aspiieetioii .i'iin 17, 1950; serial N6. 168;?45

This invention i'ittstb" chain 'stiteh s'evving machines ene-mcre particnlarly to a *control for the thread-carrying ioopei mechanism or such machines" u Thprimary obj ect "of *theiiiveiitionds to provide an improved lcoper throw-cut fdi" retract ing'thelooper from a normal operating position adjacent the needle to a more'ccnvenientthread= mg position, the mechanism being a!'ra-rigi'adfor ready manipulationby theoper'ator and 'vvithoiit interferencewith thenorm'al useof the machine.

With the above and other objects in "view, as will hereinafter-appear; "the inventionc'om prises the devices, combinations and arrangements-of parts hereinafterset forth and illus trated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment or'the'invention; from which the several features of the invention and weed-- vantages attained thereby will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art;

In the accompanying drawings? Fig; 1 represents-a vertical -long'itudinai section of a portion of "a sewing-machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 represents a toppla'n vie'vv partially in section, of the sewingmachine illustrated in Fig.1;

Fig; i 3 represents; on enlarged scale; *pcr tion'of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1. l

Fig; 4 represents o'n an enlarged-seale s, top plan view of the link employee for actuating the looper mechanism.

Fig. 5 represents a sectional view taken sub stantially along theline li -=5 of Figs' l.

Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal sectional view through the link element disclosed inFig; 4.

Fig. '7 represents a top plan view "of-the; link in its disassembled condition soa'sto illustrate its two component members;

Fig. 8 represents a sectional view taken substahti'ally along the line 8-'8-of "7. i

Fig; '9 represents a side elevation view ofbne of the link componentsdisclosed inFig'i '7.

Fig. 10 represents a fragmentary top plan view of the two-part link with it's latcnmechanism removed and illustrating "the two link components in their operative or extended position.

Fig. 11 represents a sectionalview taken substantially along the 1ine5-5 of Fig. 4 but illustrating thelatch member in it's open or epressed position and the link components intheir retracted positions.

Fig. 12 represents the link with its latch mechanism removed and illii'stratihgthe two link coinpbhehts in their retracted positions.

4 Gln'iiriisi (Clu112%200) For purposes of illustration, theinvention is applied to -a sewing machine of the general con struction disclosed in United Statespatentpf Glaytiin 'Noi 2345327; March 28, 1944, only so much of themachine being shown and described herein as-is necessary to -an understanding of theinvention; i

*rhe pi esent machine coinprise's a bed or worm supporting: plate; generallydesi nated by the numeralIIS. In general; the m'echahism disposed beneath the bed liseomprisesa rotary drive shaft ltincorporating a crank l1 and an eccentric l8 by which, respectively; the requisite end'wise' 1'eeiprocating and sidewise or laterally vibrating movements areihipar ted to a pair oflooper elements' IS 'IB mounted on a looper carrier 20; The =endwise-reciprocatory movements of the loopers are effected through the medium of a pitmanil; rocker arms 22 and 23 journaled'on the stud 24 and a 1ink25 connecting'therock arm 23 with the 'looper carrier 20. The sidewise or laterally vibrating movements of theloopers are effected through the medium of an eccentric actuated fork 2 6 and rock-shaft 27, the latter jou'r'naledin bushings 28 and29 fitted within the bearing support (informing part'of 'a bracket '3! depending from 'theunder'side of the bed I5. The rook-shaft 21 in "turm'supports the looper carrier 23 in a conventional manner.

It is'with the construction of the connecting rod or link .25 that thepr'esent invention is more especially concerned. As may be best observed fromjFig's. 1, 2 and 3, the connectinglink 25 has itsone endportion provided with a splitbearing 32 which embraces a ball i'nember 33carried by ,therock-arm 23.-The other end portion of the link is similarly provided with a split bearing member 34 which embraces a second ball member 35carried directly by the looper carrier 20. With this construction, the rocking movements of the rock-arm 23 are imparted direetlyto the looper carrier 20 for the purpose of actuating the looper back and forth crosswise of the direction of work As illustrated in Fig. 1., the loopercarrier 203s positioned in its eXtreine'right-hand position and from this figure it will be observed that thelooper element's I9l 9 have their forward portions disposed directly beneath the throat-plate 36' and feed-dog elements 31', 37 in a manner such that it would be very difi'lcult for the operator tb thread the loo ers. The present invention, however. contemplates the provision of means wherehy the iocper elements may be retracted from the position shown in Fig. 1, so as to facilitate the threading of such elements.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 to 12, inelusive, the connecting link 25 comprises two components of which a first 33 is provided with a central cylindrical aperture 39 which is slidingly entered by the cylindrical end portion 40 of a second member 4|. In other words, these two components of the link are coupled together in a telescopic manner so that they will be coaxially aligned and shiftable endwise of each other. As may be best observed from Figs. 7 and 9, the second member 4| is provided with a transverse notch 42 and a pair of opposed parallel flats or land portions 43, 43 which are disposed longitudinally of the member and in an area adjacent the notch. Also, the primary member 38 is provided with an enlarged transverse notch 44 which communicates directly with the central cylindrical aperture 39 of the member so as to give access to the second member 4| whenever the two members are telescopically mated. 7

Referring particularly to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 11, the present link is provided with a bifurcated latch element 45 comprising two spaced furcations 46 and 41 which are slidingly mounted within the notch 44 of the primary member 38. A spring element 48 mounted upon the primary member 38 by means of a screw 49 has its free end portion normally disposed within a notch 50 of the latch 45 so as to bias the latter toward the secondary member 4| in a manner such that the latch will mate within the notch 42 of the secondary member whenever the latter is operatively positioned lengthwise of the primary member 38. The two furcations 45 and 41 of the latch 45 are spanned by means of a bridge element which is secured to the furcations by means of screws 5252. This bridge member 5| prevents the inadvertent removal of the latch 45 from the link and at the same time provides a push button by means of which the operator may open the latch against the action of the spring element 48. It will be particularly observed from Figs. 5 and 11 that the furcations 46 and 41 not only engage the primary member 38 but also snugly engage the flats or lands 43, 43 of the secondary member 4|. Also, it will be understood that the lands 43, 43 being engaged by the latch, prevent the secondary member 4| from rotating about its longitudinal axis relative to its associated or primary member 38. Whenever the latch is in its normal position, as best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and'6, it will be mated with the notch 42 of the secondary member 4| so as to lock the latter in a fixed position relative to theprimary member 38, thereby to provide essentially a fixed-length link. However, whenever the bridge element 5| of the bifurcated latch is depressed or forced against the action of the spring 48, it will move transversely of the two link members so as to release the secondary member and permit it to be slidingly moved endwise of the primary member so as effectively to alter the length of the link. As hereinabove noted, with the link 25 in its fixed-length condition, the loopers, when'shifted to the furthest right-hand position, are inaccessible to the operator insofar as the threading operations are concerned. However, when ever the operator chooses to maneuver the looper elements into a position such that they may be conveniently threaded, it is merely nec- 4 essary to depress the bridge element 5| of the latch so as to permit the primary link component member 38 to be shifted endwise of and toward the secondary component member 4|. More specifically, as soon as the latch 45 is moved against the action of the spring 48 into its open position, the looper carrier may be pulled back so as effectively to decrease the overall length or. the link so that the loopers.

are thrown clear of the feed-dogs and throatplate in a manner as best disclosed in Fig. 3.

5 Quite obviously, in this position the loopers may be conveniently threaded after which the operator may grasp the looper carrier 20 or the primary member 38 of the link and urge it forward so that the notch 42 of the secondary member will be caught by the bifurcated latch member. As soon as the latch is properly mated with the notch 42 of the secondary member, the link is again effectively formed as a rigid element so as to function in its usual manner to oscillate the loopers back and forth, crosswise of the direction of work feed in response to the rocking movements of the rock arm 23.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that this invention has provided a novel and convenient means for retracting the looper or loopers to facilitate threading thereof.

Having thus set forth the nature of the inventlon, what I claim herein is:

1. A chain-stitch sewing machine having a looper, means for actuating said looper including an adjustable link comprising lust and second coaxially aligned members of which the second member has its one end portion slidingly mated lengthwise of and within one end portion of the first member whereby the effective length of the link may be varied, a notch formed transversely of and adiacent the said end portion of the second member, a latch carried by the first member, and spring means Ior biasing said latch into mating relation with said notch thereby releasably to look the two members in a predetermined fixed relationship.

2. A chain-stitch sewing machine having a looper, means for actuating said looper including an adjustable link comprising first and second coaxially aligned members of which the second member has its one end portion slidingly mated lengthwise of and within one end portion of the first member whereby the effective length of the link may be varied, a first notch formed transversely of and ad acent the said end of the second member, a second notch formed within the rirst member so as to give access to the second memher, a latch element slidably mounted within said second notch, and spring means for biasing said latch into mating relation with said first notch thereby releasably to lock the two members in a predetermined fixe relationship.

3. A chain-stitch sewing machine having a looper, means for actuating said looper including an adjustable link comprising first and second coaxially aligned members of which the second member has its one end portion slidingly mated lengthwise of and within one end portion of the first member whereby the efiective length of the link may be varied, a first notch formed transversely of and adgacent the said end of the second member, a pair of flat parallel lands formed on said second member adjacent said first notch, said lands being disposed at right angles to the walls defining said first notch, a second notch formed within and transversely of said first member so as to give access to said sec- 0nd member, a bifurcated latch element slidingly mounted within said second notch with each furcation engaging a respective one of said lands thereby to prevent any relative rotation between the two members, and spring means carried by the first member and engaging said latch thereby to urge the latter toward the second member and into mating relation with said first notch thereby releasably to lock the two members in a predetermined fixed relationship.

4. A chain-stitch sewing machine having a looper, means for actuating said looper including an adjustable link comprising first and second coaxially aligned members of which the first member is formed longitudinally thereof with a cylindrical bore, said second member having one end portion cylindrical in shape and slidingly mated lengthwise of and within said bore whereby the efiective length of the link may be varied,

a land formed on the cylindrical portion of said second member, means carried by said first mem- EDWARD MUECKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,850,949 Zeier et a1 Mar.. 22, 1932 2,497,319 Mott Feb. 14, 1950 

